


The Story Continued

by Rearviewdreamer



Series: Every Story Universe [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Baker Harry, Epilogue, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Wedding, Writer Louis, all the fluff really, there are more wedding cakes involved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-08 21:23:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8862607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rearviewdreamer/pseuds/Rearviewdreamer
Summary: Louis figures that his second best-selling book that chronicled the way the Shining Knight stole his heart will be pretty tough to beat, but nothing's impossible when your life features a cake shop, a beautiful baker, and more love than he ever thought possible.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This epilogue is SO insanely overdue. It should've been written ages ago, but better late than never :)

_~Two Years Later~_

_‘Happily ever after. It’s one of those grand, universal ideas. The kind that manages to stick with us long after we’ve grown up, stopped reading fairytales, and stopped believing that such things can really exist. It’s a phrase that secretly drives the inner ambitions of every heart, whether the person believes in fairytales, or, if for the time being, all the magic has run out._

_The magic ran out for me once. I let my anger consume it all until there was nothing left. Until I was certain that my life and my happiness had already peaked. I had quickly fallen in love, slowly fallen out of it, and somehow managed to carry on thinking that all of my best days were behind me; that I had no future._

_As hard as it was for me to admit, I couldn’t have been more wrong. And the person who brought me back from all of that? Well, he couldn’t have been more right for me._

 

_Harry, my knight (which he now insists on being called at least once per day) showed up just in time, and when I finally let him in, I felt the weight of the world and everything else I’d been harboring fall right off my shoulders. He came into my life and immediately I thought, ‘This time is truly it. Right now, is my happily ever after.’ Which wasn’t a lie, however, I think even then I knew that my story, our story wasn’t over._

_Happily ever after. It’s an ending. The closing and parting sentiment of a book or an epic chapter in someone’s life. Right now, I can’t picture myself any happier than I already am, and yet somehow I feel like we’re only in the prologue._

_I’m not sure what happily ever after looks like or if it even exists outside of fairytales and the imaginations of the hopelessly romantic, but something’s telling me not to close the book on me and my knight just yet. We still have quite a few pages to turn. We just have to figure out what the next page will be.’_

Louis releases a breath that ends in a big, relieved smile because he figured he’d be cooped up in this room all afternoon getting started on the opening for his new book.

 

He glances at the time in the corner of his screen and feels a golden wave of pride roll through his chest because achieving that took him less than half an hour.

 

He snaps his laptop shut and heads straight for the door he always shuts himself behind whenever he needs to really focus. As soon as he steps into the corridor of the bakery the familiar scent of sugar and sweet cake batter fills his nose. He lets them lure him into the kitchen where he finds his boyfriend working with his back turned and a black apron tied around his waist.

 

There’s flour everywhere- no surprise there -but Louis hops up on the countertop anyway, catching Harry a bit by surprise as he turns in Louis’ direction and removes his earbuds.

 

“I’m going to have to get you one of those cat bells so you’ll stop scaring the living shit out of me,” he laughs. “Aren’t you supposed to be writing another best-seller?”

 

“Nope,” Louis grins. “All finished.”

 

Harry’s eyes roll at his claim. “Surely not with _all_ of it? You were in the office for what, like, five minutes?” he snorts.

 

Louis rolls his eyes right back at his lovely idiot of a boyfriend who has somehow managed to get cake batter stuck to one of his eyebrows. For some reason Louis finds it incredibly hot. He has no idea what the hell Harry has done to him.

 

“Okay, I was in there for much longer than five minutes,” he points out. “But my only goal for today was to get started. That’s always the hardest part, so it should be smooth sailing from here.”

 

Harry beams at his accomplishment. “Wow, babe. Congratulations. That was really fast. I’m proud of you.”

 

“Yeah, well, it’s easy to write when you’re inspired by such _greatness_ ,” Louis smirks as dips his index finger into a mound of flour next to his leg and swipes it across the tip of Harry’s nose.

 

Harry frowns, scrunching up his nose when Louis dips his pinky into the flour next to repeat the process. “Why exactly am I being graced with your presence again?” his boyfriend chuckles. “Don’t you want to go annoy Liam up front?”

 

“Nope. I only want to bother you. I’m here to help,” Louis says as he gestures to the new sheet of fondant Harry was in the middle of rolling out before Louis interrupted him.

 

“Oh God, I was afraid you’d say that,” he grumbles looking completely delighted that Louis is going to stay in the kitchen to keep him company. “Alright then. If you’re going to help, you know the rules.” He leans forward to smack a quick kiss to Louis’ mouth that Louis readily accepts. “To the sink with you,” he orders.

 

“Yes, sir,” Louis hops down from the counter, already rolling up his sleeves. “I won’t come back until these hands, wrists, and forearms are squeaky clean,” he promises.

 

Harry watches him as he walks away, trying to look unbothered by Louis but it just comes off fond and in love instead.

 

“Just hurry up,” he laughs. “And don’t get soap and water everywhere either. I just cleaned.”

 

Louis glances around the kitchen that looks like it just got a fresh dusting of snow from the mess Harry’s made.

 

“Could’ve fooled me,” he mumbles under his breath.

 

He comes back to stand at Harry’s side, listening carefully as he instructs Louis on the technique he’s using today. Louis nods, using all of his concentration as he slowly replicates the fondant flower that Harry gives him as an example.

 

“So, how’d I do?” he asks, wary of Harry’s _very_ critical eye. The petals he made are a bit wonky on the ends where he pressed the fondant too hard so Harry’s flower is definitely smoother. Louis’ stem is slightly bent as well, but if he holds his flower at an angle it’s unnoticeable.

 

He glances up for approval when he’s done critiquing himself, finding Harry staring not at the flower, but at him instead.

 

His green eyes are filled with something so soft that Louis’ cheeks warm from the attention. Harry leans down to lightly kiss his lips rather than tell him that he did it wrong like he probably should, stirring up the butterflies in Louis’ stomach that are always present whenever Harry is near.

 

“Beautiful,” he says eventually, adding Louis’ flower in with the others. Louis spends the next hour wondering if Harry was talking about the flower or him.

 

*

 

It’s nearly midnight when Louis tears his gaze away from Niall’s checkup email to raise an eyebrow at the complete _child_ who’s been poking him in the calf with his big toe for the past ten minutes.

 

Louis accepts defeat, as he places the computer on the bedside table along with his glasses for the night. He shifts onto his side until he’s lying face to face with his boyfriend.

 

“May I help you?”

 

“You weren’t paying attention to me,” Harry claims through a grin, and Louis just wants to kiss him. Harry’s hair is a fucking mess which isn’t really his fault. It’s Louis’. And he’s still just as naked as he was an hour ago with a new line of dark bruises forming across his torso. To which again, Louis pleads guilty.

 

“I wasn’t paying attention to you because you, my dear, fell asleep on me.”

 

“Did not,” Harry mumbles, snaking his arms around Louis to pull him closer until he’s practically lying on top of him. His brow furrows when he drags his fingers over the fabric of Louis’ pants. “When did you put those on?”

 

“Hmm, I don’t know. Probably after you bloody _fell asleep on me_ ,” Louis laughs.

 

Alright, fine. You’re right. I fell asleep,” he finally admits “But, Lou, I was _exhausted_.”

 

“Are you seriously complaining?” Louis snorts. So, Louis may or may not have worn his boyfriend out a little. That’s not a crime, last he checked.

 

“Trust me, I’m not complaining at all. I’m just trying to return the favor,” he says pressing a line of warm kisses along his neck.

 

Louis’ eyes flutter closed at the touch but not before he can steal a glance at the time displayed next to them. “It’s past midnight,” he points out even though going for round two right now sounds like an ace plan. His original one had been to edit his writing into the early hours of morning until he got tired enough to pass out, but he likes Harry’s idea way better.

 

“So what if it’s late?” Harry smirks. “Who cares?”

 

“You will when your alarm goes off at five in the morning.”

 

He doesn’t look deterred at all as he starts working Louis’ pants down his lower body. “Sure I won’t. And if I do, I’ll just make Liam open the shop tomorrow. I’ll tell him I’m sick,” he whimpers, complete with a fake cough and sniffle.

 

The two of them always seem to be laughing. They’re doing so right now because Harry’s the worst actor on the planet, but Louis loves him anyway. Louis only wears the biggest of smiles these days and they’re always reflected right back at him along with two glorious dimples.

 

He had taken advantage of Harry’s little cat nap to read over what he wrote today. Louis firmly believes that every day spent with Harry is just a new page added to their epic tale. Happily ever after may or may not be a real thing, but he swears he’s right in the middle of it with the idiot shaking with laughter beneath him. He’s never loved someone so much in his entire life. And to think he almost missed out on all of this by being the most stubborn person in existence. He’s so glad Harry set him straight.

 

“Oh, fine,” he relents, like letting Harry have his way is some big imposition. It’s not. Not even a little bit. “But, you better not drag me into your web of lies tomorrow,” Louis warns, letting Harry trail his hands over his hips and thighs and anywhere else he likes.

 

“I wouldn’t dare.” Louis rolls his eyes, grinning when the room suddenly turns sideways as Harry flips him onto his back. “I won’t even have to lie to Li. I’ll be fine to go to work in the morning. You’ll see.”

 

Louis does see. Or rather he hears when Harry’s alarm blares at five o’clock on the dot. He groans in response like he’s being tortured and then blindly searches for his phone to call his best friend and lie through his perfect teeth.

 

“…Er- No, it’s not that type of illness. I’m sure I’ll be fine in a few hours. I’m going to take some medicine and… and have some tea. Yeah, the herbal kind. That’s what I was thinking too,” he mumbles on the end of a bullshit sniffle. “Okay, thanks, Li. I owe you, mate. I’ll see you a bit later.”

 

Harry throws his phone somewhere on the bedside table and then cuddles himself back into Louis’ embrace with a content sigh.

 

“So… would _now_ be a good time to say I told you so, or should I wait until after you’ve had your ‘herbal tea’?”

 

Harry responds a beat later with a quick pinch to Louis’ bum and a sleepy grin pressed to his skin. “Shut up. Be nice to me.” Louis yelps from the assault and then laughs so hard that he can’t go back to sleep.

 

It’s moments like these that Louis thinks he knows exactly what the next page in their book should be. It’s something that he’s thought about ever since that night two years ago when he thought Harry was about to slingshot them right into that next chapter. It was too soon at the time. Louis had just let love back into his life, but now his heart is so overfilled with it that a ring on his finger doesn’t sound too bad. Actually, it sounds kind of perfect. 

 

*

 

Louis shows up at the bakery around noon that same day. He comes bearing phony gifts to aid his boyfriend in his fake recovery, but he’s mostly just there because he misses him. He’d never admit that out loud to anybody except Harry of course, so when Liam asks what he’s doing there Louis launches into an expertly constructed fabrication of how he’s basically a certified nurse from how quickly he got Harry feeling better.

 

“Aww. Louis, you’re so good for him. He really appreciates all the little things you do for him. I hope you know that,” Liam grins.

 

All the little things he does like bringing him lunch and an extra-large coffee for his sex hangover since he complained all morning about how tired he was before he was forced to leave.

 

Louis looks past Liam’s shoulder at his boyfriend hovered over a catalogue book with a customer. Liam grins when he follows Louis’ gaze straight to him.

 

“Well, I was just on my way to the kitchen. I put Haz on sales duty since he’s poorly, but I know he’ll be happy to see you.” Liam’s arms come around his shoulders for a quick hug before he leaves. Louis waves his friend goodbye before ducking behind the counter like he works there.

 

Louis hangs back, idly flipping through a random magazine as he waits for Harry to finish with the man he’s chatting with. Louis is busy mentally ranking all the fancy magazine cakes in order of most deliciousness when his ears tune into the conversation going on in front of him.

 

“These all look and sound _really_ good. Ugh, I think I’m torn between all of them,” the blond man chuckles.

 

“That’s okay. We get that a lot,” Harry grins. “Luckily, you can always make the decision another day. You could give it some thought and talk it over with your fiancé. See what he thinks,” Harry suggests.

 

“That’s true,” the nods. “Which one did you choose for your wedding?” the man asks all of a sudden.

 

Louis watches as Harry shyly ducks his head. “Oh, uh, neither of them actually. I’m not married.”

 

The man whom Louis hadn’t spared more than a quick glance at when he first got here, fixes Harry with a look that causes Louis to narrow his eyes at him. “Really? A man who’s as charming and gorgeous as you roaming free? I find that a little hard to believe.”

 

Harry awkwardly shifts his weight from one foot the other, discomfort evident in his voice as he clears it. “I have a boyfriend,” he explains.

 

The man nods, taking in this new information but not comprehending it at all. “That’s good that you’ve got somebody. And as you know, I have a fiancé,” he says like the word doesn’t really mean anything. “So, how long have you two been together then? It can’t be too serious,” the man pushes with more interest than Louis can handle. This arsehole is supposed to be choosing a cake for his wedding day, not trying to pick up his fucking boyfriend.

 

“We’ve been together for two and a half _amazing_ years. And no he isn’t ‘roaming free’, because he isn’t cattle,” Louis interjects, coming to stand at the counter too.

 

Harry bites down on a slow grin before introducing him to the blond who looks like he’s just seen a ghost. “This is Louis, the one I was just telling you about.”

 

“His _boyfriend_ ,” Louis iterates in case the prick didn’t catch onto who he was the first time.

 

The man shrugs off Louis’ tone with a fake smile. “It’s very nice to meet you, Louis. Though, I think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding here. I was just making small talk. I didn’t mean anything by it,” he claims.

 

Louis knows exactly what he fucking meant. He’s about to tell him so and also to fuck off while he’s at it until Harry discreetly squeezes his hand. “Hey, babe?” Harry turns to him. “I’m going to finish up with this order and then I’ll be right with you in the office, okay? I’ll just be a minute.”

 

The last thing Louis wants to do is leave his boyfriend here with this disgusting excuse for a human, but him leaving is probably a good thing since Louis just pictured this guy’s head going through the glass of the display case.

 

Harry kisses him goodbye, on the lips for added emphasis Louis notes. Louis smirks when he waves the man goodbye, feeling his jealous eyes burning into his back as he leaves.

 

Harry pokes his head into the office ten minutes later to make sure Louis is there. He steps inside and shuts the door behind him with a grin, his eyes all lit up in amusement.

 

“Someone wasn’t being very nice out there,” he teases.

 

“Fuck being nice,” Louis scoffs. “He’s lucky I didn’t come for blood with the way he treated you.”

 

Harry crosses the room and turns Louis in his swivel chair. Their lips meet in a proper kiss, much better than the one Harry sent him off to the office with. Louis tries to melt into it, but he then he thinks about that arsehole again and ruins the moment for himself.

 

“God, I _hate_ that guy. Do you have his fiancés’ number?” Louis asks in a moment of bold inspiration. “I should call. I’ll leave an anonymous message and warn him about the creep he’s about to wind up with forever.”

 

Louis sure wishes someone had warned him about Isaac. It would’ve saved him a lot of fucking heartache. He’s pretty sure his ex began cheating on him in the exact same way. The only difference is that the person he hit on took the bait.

 

Harry sadly shakes his head in answer. “I don’t have his number. But even if I did, it wouldn’t matter. It’s not our place to do something like that, babe.”

 

Louis disagrees completely. He knows firsthand that it’s people like that man who make it so hard for others to trust.

 

Harry pulls him in for another kiss which Louis ends up cutting short again when he remembers how thrilled that guy had looked to learn that Harry was unmarried; unmarried, which apparently means _uncommitted_ by his definition.

 

“Babe, what is it?”

 

“Nothing. I’m fine, I swear. It’s just…fuck. I was just so _angry_ , you know?”

 

The light in Harry’s eyes fades just as quickly as the hope had in that man’s when Harry kissed him. However, all that’s visible on Harry’s face is hurt and insecurity rather than envy.

 

“Not at me though, right?” he asks quietly. Louis wants to punch himself.

 

“No, love. Of course not at you,” Louis rushes to amend. “I was mad at that idiot for not respecting you or what you said. You shouldn’t have had to explain yourself or hint for him to back off more than once. He could tell you were uncomfortable and he just kept _pushing_. I wanted to rip his fucking head off.”

 

A new grin begins to take shape on Harry’s lips. “Well, in that case, I’m glad you wanted to defend my honor. Thank you, Louis.”

 

“No, it was nothing,” Louis mumbles, his cheeks much warmer now that they had been. “I’m just glad I was there to tell that fucker to get lost for you.”

 

Harry breathes a laugh at that. “Yeah, me too. Though, I would’ve eventually told him to fuck off on my own, customer or not. I’ve had to be pretty rude and blunt to some people in the past. I hate doing that, but I will if I have to.”

 

“Oh.” Louis’ eyes widen listening to this new information. “So, does that sort of thing happen to you a lot?”

 

“Kind of. Not really,” Harry shrugs. “That guy wasn’t the first arsehole I’ve ever encountered and unfortunately, he probably won’t be the last.”

 

“Harry, how often does this kind of thing happen?” he asks, not sure if he really wants to know the answer.

 

“I don’t know. I don’t keep count. Like I said, it’s not a big deal,” he shrugs. “I shut every one of them down immediately. You have nothing to worry about.”

 

Louis gently cups his face and presses a kiss to it. He knows he has nothing to worry about. He trusts Harry with his life.

 

“You don’t have to defend yourself. I know you turn them down, love. That’s not at all what I was implying. It’s just…I had no idea you get so much shit from other people all the time. I’m sorry.” Louis had no idea that so many people want Harry all for themselves. Well, that’s a lie. Louis sees the way men and women watch him and the way people light up under his attention. It’s just never made Louis feel so weird before. So fucking jealous. He doesn’t _own_ Harry. Like he told that guy, he’s not cattle, but still, Louis can’t help but feel a bit possessive realizing his boyfriend is so desired.

 

Harry must notice the sharp tense of his jaw because he chuckles, clearly flattered. “Well, don’t feel _too_ sorry for me. After all, it’s you I come home to, so I think I’ve got it pretty damn good.” He pulls Louis up from his chair in order to steal it. He guides Louis down into his lap for a kiss that Louis couldn’t break away from even if he tried.

  

Louis had planned to hang out at the bakery to keep Harry and Liam company for the rest of the afternoon, but after their conversation Louis rushes straight home to his laptop.

 

He opens it up and begins typing from the last place he left off, his mind whirring a million miles per hour.

 

‘ _Every story has a villain. The antagonist who makes it nearly impossible for the main character to prevail. Their only goal is to ruin everything the characters have built and worked for, but there’s no room for an antagonist in my fairytale; or, antagonists to be more specific._

_The only way to defeat evil is by hitting it back with enough goodness and light that it can no longer survive in the fairytale world. Sometimes that means waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and other times it means surprising everybody including yourself by going off script to write new pages you never expected.’_

He reads over his quick work, grinning to himself when he reaches for his phone to call his assistant.

 

“Louis! I was just about to call you, mate,” Niall greets him. “I want to stop by to check out what you’ve written so far. Publishing wants to know the direction you’re going in this time and all that usual stuff. You know how it is,” he explains.

 

Niall stopping by usually sends Louis into a wild panic because he almost always feels underprepared for his visit. He’s in a pretty good place with his current book so his sudden burst of nerves aren’t due to procrastination. No. Louis’ heart is beating overtime and his breathing is a little off because today he doesn’t need Niall to read his work. He needs him to help pick out a ring.

 

Deciding to propose to Harry is the easiest decision Louis’ ever made. He wasn’t ready to talk about spending the rest of his life with someone nearly three years ago when they met, but he is now. And that someone he’s chosen is the best person that Louis’ ever known.

 

Louis has already been engaged once in his life, and although that relationship went to complete and utter shit, the proposal part was actually alright. Louis had been in love (or so he thought) and so ready to commit to someone, _anyone_ , that he didn’t notice all of the red flags screaming at him about how wrong everything was.

 

He doesn’t feel any of that with Harry. Not even a moment of hesitation.

 

Louis’ so in love with him that he’s crazy and there isn’t a single alarm bell going off in his head trying to steer him away. It’s true that Louis nearly had an aneurysm the one time he thought Harry was popping the question with a watch, but he’s grown since then. They both have, and that growth has given him the courage and the confidence to ask Harry to spend the rest of forever with him.

 

He just has to make sure he doesn’t fuck it up.

 

 

 

“Harry, I love you more than anything and you make me the happiest I’ve ever been. Will you marry me?”

 

Louis gives his words a minute to settle. He rolls them around in his brain a few times before he shakes his head at himself in the mirror.

 

It’s still not right.

 

“Harry. You are the light of my life- and- and-” And _no._ Louis stops that train wreck before it can even begin because he knows whatever he was just about to ramble off wasn’t going to be right either. He can do better.

 

Half the things he’s saying sound eerily familiar like his brain is plagiarizing every rom-com he’s ever watched. For the next twenty minutes he goes through so many clichéd variations of ‘you are my missing piece’ to ‘I didn’t know what love was until I found you’ until he can’t think straight.

 

He’s putting a lot of pressure on himself. Fucking this up isn’t an option. This is their _engagement_. This is going to be Harry’s first and only time getting to do this. Louis would never forgive himself if he didn’t get it just right.

 

He lets out a steady, even breath to refocus himself. He opens his mouth to try one more time but immediately shuts it again when he hears the front door to their flat open and close a whole fifteen minutes earlier than usual.

 

“Louis? Babe, are you here?”

 

“Y-Yeah!” Louis answers back. “I’m back here!”

 

Louis scrambles to put the ring back in its box, nearly dropping it down the fucking sink in his haste. He realizes now, at the most inopportune moment _ever,_ that the box is too big to go unnoticed in the pocket of his jeans like he had hoped. He can hear Harry’s footsteps approaching the bathroom as he quickly shoves the diamond encrusted ring into his left pocket. He has nowhere good to hide the jewelry box, so he does the next best thing he can think of and throws it out the window.

 

Harry pushes the cracked door open all the way, eyeing Louis with curiosity when he sees him standing in the middle of the room with his hands hanging awkwardly at his sides.

 

“What were you just doing?”

 

“Nothing,” Louis answers much too quickly. “I was just getting dressed.”

 

“In the bathroom?” Harry snorts.

 

“ _Yes_. Is there something wrong with that?” Louis raises an eyebrow.

 

“Well, no,” Harry answers, still eyeing Louis suspiciously. “It’s just a bit strange is all. Where are all the clothes you took off?”

 

 _Fuck._ Louis looks down at their empty floor trying to come up with a viable excuse. “Oh, I, uh… I left them in the bedroom.”

 

“Really?” Harry says, his forehead crinkling in confusion. “There weren’t any clothes lying around when I-”

 

“ _Okay,_ maybe I was naked. There. Are you happy?”

 

Harry only blinks at him now looking even more confused. Louis _really_ hates how fucking observant he is sometimes. Why can’t he just buy the lies that Louis is so desperately trying to shove down his throat.

 

“Hey, I have an idea,” he announces as he takes Harry’s hands in his. “Let’s go out for a little walk. I’ve been waiting for you to get home all day.”

 

Harry grins fondly, stepping forward to kiss Louis’ forehead before leaning against the bathroom door with a sigh.

 

“Aww, love. That’s sweet and it sounds like fun. But, I’m actually pretty tired from work,” he apologizes. “I was kind of looking forward to just hanging out with you here. I thought maybe we could watch a movie and order a pizza or something?”

 

He grins again and Louis’ heart melts, begging him to give in and just say yes to his boyfriend’s giant green puppy eyes _,_ but he can’t do it. This is the one fucking night of their lives that they can’t be fat slobs on the sofa. Louis has big plans for this evening and in order for it all to go well, he needs his boyfriend to wake up and get his arse in gear.

 

“That sounds nice too,” Louis admits. “But I was really counting on us going out tonight. Just for a little while, yeah? Please? And then I promise, no, I _swear_ that we can come home and be as lazy as you want.”

 

Louis tacks on a smile that makes Harry’s eyes narrow even further at him and his outfit that probably looks way too nice for a routine walk around the block. He stares Louis down for a long time, but it’s like he can’t quite figure out _why_ he’s suspicious of him.

 

“You’re acting extremely weird,” he decides all of a sudden.

 

Louis fidgets. He has no idea what to do with his hands. “Am not.”

 

“Are to. You literally just turned down a lazy pizza night,” he laughs. “But, okay,” he shrugs. “Fine. I’ll play along if that’s what you want. Even if it is random. And odd.”

 

“You mean you’ll go out with me for a bit?” Louis beams.

 

“Sure, love. Whatever you want,” he agrees pressing another quick kiss to his forehead. “I’m going to go change into something that doesn’t smell like bakery. You know, in our bedroom. Where all the clothes live. Where it’s _normal_.”

 

Louis ignores his sarcastic dig. Who cares if Harry’s being a little shit as long as he’s finally cooperating? “Mhmm. Yeah, okay, babe. You go do that,” Louis calls as he digs his phone out of his back pocket. “Just let me know when you’re ready!”

 

 _‘He just got home! Leaving soon!’_ he types out, feeling adrenaline flood his veins.

He gets a confirmation text from his best friend a minute later that makes Louis’ stomach do a strange flipping motion because this is happening and it’s happening soon. ‘ _Great! Everything is set up and ready on this end! Good luck tonight and congratulations :)_ ’

 

 _‘Thanks!’_ Louis sends back before remembering what his boyfriend just whined about not getting for dinner. _‘Actually, Ni, could you please do me one more teeny tiny favor? Get rid of that other food you got. Haz wants pizza. Veggie.’_

He gets a reply much faster this time. _‘Louis, what the fuck? If I go do that, who’s going to watch over the place until you get here? Sorry, but he’s not getting pizza. I’m sure he’ll understand.’_

That won’t do.

 

‘ _Niall, you’re an AMAZING assistant. The very best! You’ll figure it out. I don’t know, call somebody to help you, but just do this ONE thing for me and I swear I’ll never ask you for anything else for as long as I live. Please? PLEASE? PLEASE?!!’_

All Louis gets in return is _, ‘Fine, but if you two end up getting divorced after all of this I will murder you both.’_

Louis rolls his eyes at the empty threat because he and Harry would never get divorced. They’re soul mates. This is the real deal. They’re in this thing for life…or at least they’re about to be.

 

 

The sun is just starting to set, painting the sky in beautiful shades of pink and orange when they step out onto the street. Harry hasn’t asked any more questions about tonight, but his eyes keep flitting over to Louis like he knows something is up.

 

There are other couples walking along the winding path when they turn into Grant Park to join them. It’s the one closest to their flat with the little wooden bridge that Harry has always loved. They’ve spent a lot of romantic evenings here looking out over the small stream together. When Louis tried to think of a place to ask Harry to marry him this park came to him immediately. It’s small, understated, and quiet, but he knows Harry will cherish their special moment all the more for those very reasons.

 

They deviate from their usual route around the park to get to the bridge and Louis can hear the sounds of water gently lapping against the rocks behind the trees. However, it’s not quite as loud as the angry rumble that Harry’s stomach produces out of nowhere when they near their destination.

 

“Hungry?”

 

“ _Starving_ ,” Harry laughs. “The shop was really busy today. I didn’t have a lot of time for lunch.”

 

“Aw. I’m sorry love, but that’s actually perfect,” Louis smiles.

 

Harry frowns until he looks past the trees and notices Niall standing next to a little picnic area for two set up in the middle of the grass.

 

His face breaks out into a wide, sheepish grin as they get closer and he sees a large pizza waiting for them in the middle of the blanket along with a bouquet of long-stemmed pink roses Louis made Niall search the city for because Harry likes them the best.

 

“So, _this_ is why you were being so weird!” he exclaims. “Aww, Louis, I can’t believe you did all of this.”

 

Louis readily accepts the deep kiss that Harry pulls him into. He’s a little dazed when Harry finally lets him go, his lips tingling from his boyfriend’s touch. He has to take a second to collect himself and remember the task at hand so they don’t end up snogging in the grass like teenagers in front of his assistant. He has a plan damn it and he’s determined to stick to it no matter how much he’s currently fantasizing about Harry pinning him down on this blanket.

 

“Hey, Ni,” Harry says eventually, remembering his presence around the same time that Louis does. “Thank you so much for helping Louis pull this off. You’re such an amazing friend to us.”

 

“Yeah, thanks, Ni. Couldn’t have done it without you, mate,” Louis echoes. Harry pulls his assistant into a quick hug and Louis widens his eyes at him in a silent plea to leave. He’s nervous enough already without his best friend here watching his every move.

 

Niall only sticks around a few minutes longer, hugging Louis a lot tighter than necessary like he’s sending him off to war rather than leaving him here to propose to his long-term boyfriend.

 

He and Harry settle down on their blanket once he’s gone and Harry grins at Louis over their food the whole time.

 

Louis’ heart is racing as he downs the champagne meant to pair with the risotto that Niall managed to get rid of in time. He keeps feeling over his left pocket, tracing the edge of the ring hidden there while Harry talks about his day, completely unaware that Louis is losing his mind across from him.

 

They stay there long after they’ve finished eating mostly because Louis’ too nervous to move.

 

It’s getting pretty late. The sun has almost disappeared behind the trees entirely, painting the sky in dark shades of pink and purple when he takes Harry’s hand and walks them to the little bridge arched over the stream.

 

Harry leans over it like always to look at the water, his smile reminding Louis of every fairytale he’s ever heard.

 

“This was so perfect, Louis. Just what I needed after a day like today,” he grins. “I love you so much.”

 

Louis releases a shaky breath, knowing that this is moment. He reaches into his pocket for the ring, mortified when it falls right out of his hand and onto the deck of the bridge they’re standing on.

 

Harry hurries to pick it up when he sees Louis dive for the object before it can roll into the water; his breath catching and his eyes softening when he realizes what he’s holding.

 

“Is this- Is this what I think it is?” he asks.

 

“Um…it depends. What do you think it is?” Louis nervously quips.

 

Harry doesn’t return his joke, his eyes more serious than Louis’ ever seen them.

 

“Are you proposing?”

 

Louis squeezes his eyes shut, burying in face in his palms out of defeat. He can’t believe he fucked up this badly. “Well, yes, I was about to. Until I threw the bloody ring at your feet,” he mumbles.

 

Harry’s grin is so wide and so fond when Louis finally dares to meet his eyes.

 

“You’re still going to, right?” he smiles. Harry places the ring in Louis’ hand, somehow still regarding Louis with excitement even though the surprise has been ruined. He never ceases to amaze Louis with how completely wonderful he is.

 

Louis places the ring on the thick ledge of the bridge where it’s safe, not trusting himself to touch it again until it’s time for Harry to wear it.

 

“I’m not so great with words,” Louis begins as he takes both of Harry’s hands in his.

 

“You’re literally a soon-to-be three-time best selling author,” Harry laughs, “But, okay.”

 

Louis flushes, grinning from ear to ear. He loves when Harry proudly lists off his accomplishments like that. “Alright, I’m not great with _spoken_ words then,” he laughs. “I wish I could propose to you in a book. If someone asked me to express what you mean to me in writing, I’d need a scroll that stretches even further than the heavens because I’d never be able to stop. I could write down a billion things about you that are my favorite and still not come up empty. I could’ve written out a speech to recite to you tonight, but I didn’t want to read to you from some piece of paper. I want to talk to you. Straight from my heart, so bear with me while I try?”

 

Harry’s eyes are heavy with unshed tears when he nods. “I will,” he promises. “But for the record, I already think you’re doing an amazing job.”

 

He’s relieved to hear it. Louis has no real plan here, but loving Harry is the thing he’s best at. He knows that whatever he ends up saying tonight in order to express that will be a direct reflection of his heart. Who cares if it comes out eloquently so long as Harry knows without a doubt that he is loved?

 

“The first time we met, you drove me so crazy that I stalked you all the way to your job and then ordered a fake cake for my fake aunt just so I could talk to you. You told me that love wasn’t done with me. That my person, my soul mate was still out there waiting for me and- I hated you for it. You used to make me so mad every day. I’d go home and write all these mean and awful things about you because you got under my skin and into my heart. You made me feel things I didn’t want to, but, I am so glad that you did.”

 

Louis squeezes Harry’s hands remembering how much he wanted to kiss Harry even on the days he’d piss Louis off the most by insisting that they belonged together. He was right. They do belong together. If Louis doesn’t know anything else, he knows that statement is true.

 

“You probably won’t believe me, but I loved you from the moment I saw you; I just couldn’t admit it yet. I know it’s stupid and cliché because you’ve read my dumb books a dozen times over, but you really are the shining knight who saved me. You believed in us when I couldn’t, and even now you make me the strongest and the happiest I’ve ever been.”

 

Louis takes the ring from the ledge with a steady hand this time and gently slips it onto Harry’s finger. It’s so simple and yet it fits him perfectly the way it glitters and shines in the last few embers of sunset.

 

“You made me believe the impossible. You made me believe in love again and because of you, _our_ story is indisputably the best one ever told. You’ve already done so much, but I want to ask you to do just one more thing for me if it’s not too much,” he says before taking a deep breath. “Please make me the luckiest man in the world and say you’ll marry me?”

 

He expects to hear a definitive yes or no, but he doesn’t expect the way Harry surges forward to kiss him as soon as the question leaves his mouth. He backs Louis into the side of the bridge where he rests their foreheads whispering yes again and again until Louis is short of breath just from his voice sounding so sure and just so happy.

He kisses Harry’s lips again before wiping at his tear-tracked cheeks. The first time Louis got engaged, he was too blinded by what he thought was love to notice that something wasn’t quite right. That day doesn’t even compare to this one and how incredibly right this feels. With Harry, Louis doesn’t have to wonder if their love will last. He’s sure of it.

 

*

 

News of the famous Louis Tomlinson’s impending nuptials spreads like wildfire after that. At first, he and Harry only told people who need to know like friends and family, but after a while of keeping their engagement under wraps Louis simply couldn’t help himself from going on and on about his wonderful new fiancé to anybody who would listen; which also happened to include all two-million of Louis’ followers on Twitter. Whoops.

 

The announcement of his third book and their engagement captures the world’s attention. He and Harry are pretty normal by their standards, but to everyone else, Louis’ the man who was once the world’s biggest cynic and Harry is the miracle worker who turned him around. It’s all true as far as media influenced storylines go, but that doesn’t make Louis feel less weird about people being so interested in them.

 

 

He’s surprised when he takes a break from writing one day to check his email. He finds one there from Niall, inquiring not about the progress of his third book, but about the likelihood of Louis agreeing to a huge promotional deal for it instead.

 

Louis reads over the message a few times before picking up the phone to call him.

 

“So, what do you think?” Niall asks, voice full of enthusiasm about an offer that makes Louis’ stomach quiver.

 

“I don’t know, Ni. It’s definitely different from anything we’ve done for the other books.”

 

“That’s because neither of your other books has ever sparked so much interest so fast. The timing is perfect. We could probably double, if not triple sales with an offer like this. The publisher isn’t saying that you have to do it of course. They just want you to think about it.”

 

Louis glances at his little author’s shelf on the living room wall that Harry installed himself. Both of Louis’ books are displayed on it, each of them representing very different stages of his life. His third book will be displayed up there too whenever he finishes it. So far it’s shaping up to be another giant diary about his love for Harry.  

 

Sales don’t matter to Louis. Not really. All he cares about is that his writing is honest, true, and depicts how very lucky he is to have found the love of his life. Promotion is all secondary. Harry comes first.

 

“I’ll have to talk to him about it first,” Louis answers. “I won’t do it if he’s not completely comfortable with it. This is all new for him.” It’s such a bizarre situation. He doesn’t think Harry will go for it for even a second, but he’ll ask anyway.

 

“Of course, Lou. I completely understand. Talk to Haz and then get back to me after you’ve both had time to think about it.” Louis agrees, not really having much faith in Harry doing the same.

 

*

 

“We’re going to be on _tv_?!”

 

Louis blinks at his fiancé and the way his voice just shot up several decibels. “Er- Well, no, not _yet_ because I haven’t given them an answer. I said we’d think about it. I wanted to talk to you first obviously.”

 

From the reaction he just received, Louis could’ve told Niall yes right away. Harry looks thrilled.

 

“I want to it!” he says right away. “It sounds like _so_ much fun. What do you think, Lou? Would you want a big wedding like that? Oh my God, I can’t believe we’ve never even talked about this before!” he beams. Louis would have rather had his head beaten in than talk about this kind of stuff when he and Harry first met. Weddings and the like were not very high on Louis’ list of the fun things to chat about, but it’s important to him now. He cares because of the man currently radiating excitement next to him, like this offer is the coolest thing he’s ever heard.

 

“It doesn’t really matter to me, love, as long we get married. The size and cost of our wedding is irrelevant as long I get to have you,” Louis says honestly.

 

Harry smiles to himself before kissing him. It’s a bit hurried because of how excited he is, but it makes Louis’ heart quicken regardless.

 

“It’s your book, so it’s your decision, but I’m going support you and do what makes you the most comfortable either way,” Harry says with sincere eyes. “This is your call.”

 

Louis’ just a writer. An accidental one at that. He has no idea what draws people to his books or his relationship with Harry, but everyone including his fiancé seems to think that airing their wedding will be a good thing, so Louis chooses to believe it too.

 

“You’re _sure_ you don’t mind letting other people in?” Louis checks. “This isn’t like my books where the world gets little snippets of our lives that I _choose_ to give them. We can’t hide from cameras.” Louis has done interviews and talk shows before, but never anything on this scale.

 

“Then it’s a good thing we have nothing to hide,” Harry reasons. “So…” He stares Louis down, a bright smile spreading so quickly that it nearly takes up his whole face. “Are we officially going to be on tv?” he asks with impossibly wide eyes like his little sisters when they want something.

 

Louis fondly rolls his eyes at his fiancé, already expecting the way Harry cheers aloud and pounces on top of him like an overgrown puppy when he says yes _. Idiot._

*

 

Agreeing to film the most important day of their lives doesn’t really hit Louis until it starts quickly approaching. Letting the world in and essentially inviting them all to witness their union causes a much bigger fuss than Louis expected. Their wedding becomes grander and more luxurious by the day with all the wedding companies and designers practically throwing merchandise at them for a chance at their own free promotion.

 

It’s just two days before the wedding when Louis walks through the banquet hall that the owner insisted on them using for free. Louis has been running things through with Niall all week, his assistant who somehow became the unofficial wedding planner in the midst of trying to handle such a big promotional venture. Louis’ books are structured around the idea of a fairytale and this banquet hall looks like one exploded inside of it with all the pink cherry blossoms and wisteria hanging from the ceiling.

 

He gets pulled to the side by their lighting specialist (Louis didn’t even know that was a thing) to choose between six different mood settings for when they say their vows. Louis doesn’t know the difference between one setting and another so in the end he tells the specialist to just ask Harry instead.

 

“I tried, but when I went to look for him I couldn’t find him,” the man explains.

 

Louis glances around the room, noticing he hasn’t seen Harry in a while either. Maybe he’s with Niall discussing the cake that Liam has been working on relentlessly.

 

“I’ll send him your way when I see him,” Louis promises the man before excusing himself so he doesn’t have to pretend to know what the hell Dusky Twilight is.

 

Louis gets pulled into conversations with several people milling about the hall, and every one of them wants Louis to choose this or decide on that. This whole wedding is so much bigger than he anticipated. The whole world is going to be watching and he doesn’t want to fuck something up. Whenever people approach him his answer ends up being, “You should ask Harry. He’ll know.” To which everyone quickly replies, _‘I don’t know where he is.’_

 

After hearing that for the sixth time, Louis heads off on a mission of his own to find his assistant, certain that Harry must be with him. Louis frowns when he finds Niall with the caterer and Liam discussing the cake, his fiancé still nowhere to be found.

 

“Hey, Ni. Hey Li. Have you seen Harry?”

 

Niall briefly glances up from the checklist the caterer is going over with him. “No. Not for the past thirty minutes anyway. I figured he was with you.”

 

“Yeah, same here. I haven’t seen him,” Liam says.

 

Louis shakes his head. “I haven’t seen him either,” he says, now starting to panic. “I haven’t-”

 

He digs his phone out of his pocket when it vibrates against his leg. Relief floods his chest when he sees it’s a message from the missing man himself, but Louis frowns at his phone screen, muttering a quick, “Excuse me,” to everyone after he reads what the hell Harry just sent.

 

‘ _Want to get married? :)’_

 

Louis rushes outside away from the noise of the banquet hall to call his fiancé.

 

“That was kind of the whole point when I gave you the ring,” he says as soon as Harry picks up. “You know, the reason why half of the world is going to that giant ceremony in two days with all the flowers and the weird religious guy up at the front?”

 

He hears Harry’s breaths hitting the receiver from his laughter. “Yeah, I know. I know,” he chuckles. “And I’m sure it’s going to be a beautiful ceremony, but what if we just skip it?”

 

Louis stops dead in the middle of the intersection he was just crossing. His feet won’t move even though there’s cars honking and people yelling for him to get the fuck out of the way. His chest is so tight that he’s having trouble bring new air into his lungs. _Skip_ their _wedding_?

 

“H-Harry. What the hell are you saying? What are you doing?”

 

“Waiting for you outside the registrar’s office on Sixth Street.”

 

Louis looks in that direction, mentally calculating the two and a half blocks he’ll have to travel to get there when he starts walking.

 

He spots Harry as soon as he approaches the building. He’s still dressed in the old t-shirt and ripped up pair of jeans he left the flat wearing this morning. He looks tired. They both do from how much work has gone into this whole event, but even so, Louis thinks he looks perfect.

 

“Hey,” he grins, hugging Louis tight to him once he’s close enough.

 

Louis means to say hello as well, but all that comes out is, “You don’t want to go through with it, do you? You don’t want to get married.”

Harry pulls back immediately to look at him. “Louis. I love you. Why in the world would you think that?” Louis hears the words, but he doesn’t trust them. Not like he usually would.

 

“I don’t know. Because you disappeared from the venue and then you said we should skip our wedding happening in just two days and we’re tired and people keep asking us a million different questions- and- and-”

 

Louis makes himself take several full breaths so he doesn’t hyperventilate in the middle of the street.

 

He calms considerably when Harry holds his hands and forces him to meet his eyes. “Louis, no. I didn’t mean that I don’t want to marry you. I’d never not want to marry you, babe. I just thought that maybe we could do it today instead. Just me and you,” he whispers. “I’m sorry I didn’t make that clear.”

 

Louis blinks up at the tall building they’re standing in front of wanting nothing more than to avoid the circus going on three blocks away. “But what about the banquet hall? We agreed to the cameras. We can’t back out now.”

 

Louis’ readers would skin him alive him, not to mention what his publisher would probably do.

 

“We agreed to allowing people in on our wedding and we will,” Harry says. “But our marriage? That’s for _us_. No one else should get a say in that.”

 

The more Louis thinks about it, the more he wants to drag Harry into this building by his ratty t-shirt to become his husband.

 

“You’d marry me right now?” Louis asks with a skeptical raise of his eyebrow.

 

“Right now. Right this second,” Harry promises and Louis believes every word.

 

“We look homeless. I’m wearing a hoodie. _Your_ hoodie. That’s too big.”

 

“I know. And it looks good on you. You look great.” Louis bites down on a grin because he knows that Harry means it.

 

He glances at the time and then down the street in the direction of their venue. “People are going to realize we’re missing.”

 

“Then I guess we better hurry up and get secretly married before they notice we’re gone,” Harry’s dimples are the deepest Louis’ ever seen them, grinning and regarding Louis like he doesn’t care about anything else in the world except them and this moment.

 

Louis falls into his arms wearing the biggest smile he’s ever felt stretching across his face. “God, I love you. We are _so_ ill-equipped for this,” he laughs. “We don’t even have our rings. These people are going to think we just met.” Harry holds up one finger as he digs into the back pocket of his jeans. He pulls out the two silver bands they picked out together last month. “Did I mention that I love you?” Louis asks.

 

“Yeah,” Harry grins. “I think you may have said it once or twice.” He leans down to capture Louis’ lips, his chest lighter than it’s felt in months. He’s about to marry the love of his life with a stubbly face and about four hours’ worth of sleep, but that’s what makes fairytales so great; with all the magic swirling around, anything is possible.

 

*

 

Their wedding ends up being all anyone can talk about for weeks after it airs. Everyone who comes into the bakery now knows who Harry is and Louis gets stopped for pictures more than he ever has before. Their wedding, their second one that is, was a big deal for a lot of people. They said it gives them hope that no matter how bad things get or how alone they feel, that one day they’re going to get it right too.

 

Louis hopes that one day they do.

 

When his third book is published, _Happily Ever After: The Endless Adventure,_ Louis thanks his fans for keeping it at the top of the bestseller’s list for eight solid weeks, but forgoes doing another book tour to celebrate. He feels like he’s given so much to his readers over the years. He has shared Harry and parts of their lives for so long that for now, all he wants is to keep his new husband all to himself; at least for a little while anyway.

 

 

Louis yelps, laughing a lot louder than he should when Harry discreetly pokes his stomach on his way to grab another catalogue from the behind the display case. He tries to poke him again on his way back to his customer, but Louis dodges his long fingers, vowing to tackle him to the ground as revenge as soon as the woman leaves.

 

Louis bides his time by straightening up the stack of books that Harry just ruined.  He listens as Harry walks his customer through a large list of options for the cake she’s ordering. “These all look so amazing!” she gushes. “I think my daughter would love all of these, especially the roses. She’s always liked flowers. Anything pink really,” she smiles. “Do you have kids?”

 

Louis stops organizing the catalogues when he hears Harry let out a small chuckle.

 

“Um, no ma’am. My husband and I don’t have kids.” Harry turns to meet his gaze and Louis feels his stomach erupt with a million butterflies at his soft, “Not yet.”

 

They haven’t even been married a full year yet so Louis knows it’s not going to happen tomorrow, but really, Harry just has to say the word. Whenever he does, Louis will be right there with him ready for the next hundred pages of their adventure, this time hopefully featuring a few little princes or princesses.

 

Louis grins to himself just picturing it. Picturing them as a real family. A _royal_ family in his mind because the fairytale never ends…and he could always use another bestseller.

 

 

**********

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone who gently (not so gently) pushed to know what happened to these characters at the end of part one! I forgot how much fun it was to write for this universe. I loved every second. Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Also, thank you to FallingLikeThis(Zayniam) for being the best encourager of all <3


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